# Anyone use a cigar Oasis AND humidity beads?



## Leafs42084 (Sep 15, 2010)

Hi everyone,

when I upgraded from my 50 count to 150 count, I decided to invest in a Cigar Oasis to keep things trouble free. Im pretty content with it so far, and I like that the humidity is sampled every 15 seconds or so, and displays it so I can see through my glass top humidor without opening the lid.

I was wondering if anyone used a Cigar Oasis along with Humidity beads. I have 70% Beads on the way, and I feel like if I set my Oasis to 68%, the Humidity would always be about 70%, and if the beads needed a charging and I forgot... then the Oasis would kick in. Wouldnt this strategy allow me to almost never recharge, and also never buy a cartridge again?


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## bouncintiga (Feb 3, 2010)

hmm interesting theory i like the thought process. I would assume that the cigar oasis would still be releasing moisture as it leaks out (no humidor is 100% perfect unless it's sealed) but the rate would be drastically decreased. would probably work very well in the winter when things tend to get much drier.

what size humidor is the cigar oasis rated to? Just wondering because If you're using enough beads I feel like the cigar oasis would just take up precious cigar storage space lol


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## Leafs42084 (Sep 15, 2010)

bouncintiga said:


> hmm interesting theory i like the thought process. I would assume that the cigar oasis would still be releasing moisture as it leaks out (no humidor is 100% perfect unless it's sealed) but the rate would be drastically decreased. would probably work very well in the winter when things tend to get much drier.
> 
> what size humidor is the cigar oasis rated to? Just wondering because If you're using enough beads I feel like the cigar oasis would just take up precious cigar storage space lol


Im not sure what its rated to but its the Cigar Oasis XL.

I do agree that having both is taking up precious space, but I feel like I made an investment and cant waste it hahaha. But I do like the humidity samples it constantly takes... I NEED to know what the humidity is at all times. And I find with the smaller round hygrometers, the humidity samples arent instantaneous

I really wis hI had stumbled upon humidity beads before I bought the Oasis


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## perry7762 (Jul 27, 2010)

i was going to do something like this but i ended up returning the hydra sm and bought beads never looked back.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Leafs42084 said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> when I upgraded from my 50 count to 150 count, I decided to invest in a Cigar Oasis to keep things trouble free. Im pretty content with it so far, and I like that the humidity is sampled every 15 seconds or so, and displays it so I can see through my glass top humidor without opening the lid.
> 
> I was wondering if anyone used a Cigar Oasis along with Humidity beads. I have 70% Beads on the way, and I feel like if I set my Oasis to 68%, the Humidity would always be about 70%, and if the beads needed a charging and I forgot... then the Oasis would kick in. Wouldnt this strategy allow me to almost never recharge, and also never buy a cartridge again?


A cigar oasis in anything less than a 300 count is overkill IMHO! I run a Cigar oasis and kitty litter in a 500 count in the winter. In the Spring Summer and part of the fall. I just run litter as there is enough R/H in the air. Many run active passive set ups. I like it because of the air circulation. Once you dial them in the are rock solid as well.:car:


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## Leafs42084 (Sep 15, 2010)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> A cigar oasis in anything less than a 300 count is overkill IMHO! I run a Cigar oasis and kitty litter in a 500 count in the winter. In the Spring Summer and part of the fall. I just run litter as there is enough R/H in the air. Many run active passive set ups. I like it because of the air circulation. Once you dial them in the are rock solid as well.:car:


I do kind of agree with you. At the time, I was upgrading from a 50 to a 150 count, and thoguht the 150 was more than big enough for my needs. I filled that up within a week or so... I feel like if you have the space, you generally just fill it lol. And especially cause the Oasis takes up so much room in a 150, I dont even have close to 150 in there.

Perhaps when I receive my beads, if they are in fact as miraculous as everyone claims, I will put them in my 150 count and use my Oasis for a future larger humidor.

Are there any hygrometers out there that takes instantaneous readings of humidity like the Oasis? I like how when I open my lid, the humidity readings on the Oasis will drop down to like 50 within 15 seconds... I find the round typical ones take FOREVER to adjust. If it was just at 70% and dropped to 50%, I feel it would take like 15 minutes for it to settle at 50


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Leafs42084 said:


> I do kind of agree with you. At the time, I was upgrading from a 50 to a 150 count, and thoguht the 150 was more than big enough for my needs. I filled that up within a week or so... I feel like if you have the space, you generally just fill it lol. And especially cause the Oasis takes up so much room in a 150, I dont even have close to 150 in there.
> 
> Perhaps when I receive my beads, if they are in fact as miraculous as everyone claims, I will put them in my 150 count and use my Oasis for a future larger humidor.
> 
> Are there any hygrometers out there that takes instantaneous readings of humidity like the Oasis? I like how when I open my lid, the humidity readings on the Oasis will drop down to like 50 within 15 seconds... I find the round typical ones take FOREVER to adjust. If it was just at 70% and dropped to 50%, I feel it would take like 15 minutes for it to settle at 50


Don't know of any that adjust that quickly the important thing is to stop fluctuations in R/H Temp. Here in new york the R/H is still 65-70% 69% right now. I store my Cubans at 60 63% so i use the kitty litter dry to literally suck the excess moisture out it does a great job.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

First, I agree with Tony, once your beads arrive, ditch the Oasis.

Second, no, you will never rid yourself of being shackled to buying cartridges, until you dig the foam out and replace it with other media. CO plans it that way. They are purposely made of cheap, mold-prone foam and it's glued in so it's very tedious to dig out. Then, they compound the issue by gluing the top to the thing. If that's not a conspiracy, I don't know what is.

Third, there's nothing special, or high tech about the CO hygrometer. Any decent digital will read in real time. A good, NIST Certified unit will be even faster. Check The Weather Store.

Good luck.


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## Blacklog_angler (Apr 30, 2010)

I use 1 1/2 pounds beads with an Accumonitor in my wine cooler. Seems to work great to help stabalize.


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## ddunbar13 (Sep 22, 2010)

You can have the best of both worlds. I have a cigar oasis, for about a year in my humi. When I started reading about all of this kitty litter and bead utilization I gave it a shot. I opened my cigar oasis catritge, removed the foam and replaced it with cat litter. It was fairly easy to open the cartridge for me, a large flathead though each hole and gently pried it open. It has been working great for my sticks.


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## BPhiz (Jan 2, 2011)

I'm running 4lbs of beads and a Cigar Oasis XL II in my 6' cabinet humidor. I took the drawers out and inserted beads in trays. I've set my CO at 68 and the humidity runs a pretty stable 69-70. Rarely does the CO kick in and it is especially useful for quickly getting the RH up after I get in and out of the cabinet. 

I had found a little mold on my cigars a few months ago. It was the white kind that almost looked like plume. I was stupidly using the 12 little floral foam bricks that came with the humidor. Getting in and out, dripping water, filling up the bricks, then they leak to the back. It was just a wet mess and I didnt really know any better. 

I stuck everything in a cooler and held it between 60-63 RH. I opened up the cabinet humidor for 2 months. I wiped the few affected cigars, stuck them in ziplocks and stuck them in the fridge for quarantine. I lightly wiped the shelf vents where the mold had collected with alcohol on a q tip. I faithfully vacumed out the humidor for two months. 

I began looking for a solution to my problem. What is something that is reliable but will hold enough water so I'm not getting in and out every week filling something up? I decided upon the beads and oasis. I bought 4lbs of beads as I have 18 cubic feet of space, following the 1lb per 5 cubic ft rule. It was a hard choice between the 65RH and 70RH beads but I just simply enjoy the way my cigars smoke at 70RH, so I went with those. I decided upon the Cigar Oasis XL II because of its two constant fans and its large water reservoir. I also decided to run glacier mist every other fill up. 

I put 3 lbs of beads in the center cabinet in a tupperware tray. I put 1lb of beads in the bottom tray. I loaded the CO with glacier mist and set the humidor on 85 RH for the first two days. After another day I set it down to 75 RH, next day 70 RH, Next day 68. After the sixth day my hygrometer began registering 69 and the CO kicked off. I put half of the cigars back one day and the other half the next.

My hygromteter reads 69-70 and my CO only kicks in when I open the doors. I realize that its costing me precious space, but Ive made quite and investment in my cigars and I want to be worry free. I also like being able to run the glacier mist. 

I will likely purchase 2lbs more of beads and put them in the bottom as well. I've been impressed that I can seemingly store all of the beads in two places, and the CO fan moves enough air to reach the top of the humidor. I purchased two additional fans, but havent made up my mind if I will install them. I also added an additional weather stripping to my door. You have to push it a little harder to lock it but it holds tight.


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## Dei3Nascar8 (Nov 24, 2010)

I use both. My wife bought me a second Humi for Christmas. It will hold about 100 cigars. I have a 50 count "Cuban Wheel" type that I bought as my first Humi and not knowing what I was doing purchased the Oasis Ultra for it. It would not fit cause it took up so much room so I put it into the closet for the past 2 years. I finally got the chance to use it and here was my thinking...

I have it set at 51% Humidity along with the 70% Heartfelt Beads. The % is WAY off on my Oasis but not when I open the humi the Oasis kicks on and when I close it for a couple mins it will not run constantly. The %'s of humidity in my Humi is between 68-70% per both my calibrated meters. I use the Beads as PRIMARY humidification device and the Oasis as a replenishment source. This was humidity is returned to the proper level as soon as possible and I don't have to fill the cartridge all the time.

This is what I have been tweeking since Christmas and I have found a nice balance of keeping the Oasis off till the lid is opened.


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## Poneill272 (Oct 29, 2010)

Posting to subscribe...I'm going to need this info very soon. Thank you for this thread.


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